Not a believer in burn in, but I may have to give it a try. The peakiness in the midrange is bugging me a bit, but otherwise they are fantastic on pretty much every other level.
Whether it's your brain becoming more accustomed to the sound or the headphones actually 'burning' in I don't really know. What I have found is that you get some 'oh hello' moments where you hear something that you haven't noticed before, not always in a positive way either. I was listening to Carole King's Music SACD last night and on track 2 heard some distortion using my new Liric 2s. Worried me somewhat so I brought all my other headphones out just to check and thankfully it was there on all of them to a lesser degree. Meze recommend 'burning in' for at least 50 hours before the headphones open up.
E3 is making my other gear redundant. The sound of these feels very "correct" to me, it seems to be the tuning I was looking for in this hobby for a long time.
Later in the year might get an open back to complement it but really happy so far.
Whether it's your brain becoming more accustomed to the sound or the headphones actually 'burning' in I don't really know. What I have found is that you get some 'oh hello' moments where you hear something that you haven't noticed before, not always in a positive way either. I was listening to Carole King's Music SACD last night and on track 2 heard some distortion using my new Liric 2s. Worried me somewhat so I brought all my other headphones out just to check and thankfully it was there on all of them to a lesser degree. Meze recommend 'burning in' for at least 50 hours before the headphones open up.
To me, the Liric 2 are the headphones that have the best ability to deliver those ‘oh, hello?’ moments that you described. I’m rediscovering my music collection and hearing things that aren’t there or are presented in a different way, and I’m thrilled about that. This week, I want to go to the store to test again the E3, the Susvara and the Empy’s II with some particular songs to see if this effect it’s similar on those.
He describes exactly my take on both headphones. I don’t try EQing the E3, though; I never EQ. To my tastes, the Liric 2 are better, but I can understand others preferring the E3. Liric 2 has the emotion and the fun, while the E3 carries the technical and raw representation.
But there’s something that annoys me in this kind of videos: a lot of Dan Clark fans try to diminish the value of the Liric 2 and speak crap of these headphones as if they were the worst in the market. 90% of reviewers actually like or love the Liric 2 to some extent, but curiously, in the comments, 100% of North American users listen to both and have issues with Liric 2 and don’t hesitate to warn us against purchasing them.
I've just watched the video. I would have loved to have auditioned the E3 but simply couldn't get hold of a pair. As a new Liric 2 owner I'm more than happy with them, they're not perfect, perhaps no headphone is perfect because we are all so different. Last week I bought the Analogue Products' new SACD of Genesis' Selling England by the Pound and tried them with the Lirics once they had around 40 hours on them. Didn't like it, disappointed. Tried all of my 'phones with it and it was the good old Oppo PM1s that were the best.
Just goes to show how different music can change with the headphones you use. The E3s and the Lirics are no different. I can't understand why people get so tribal over various makes. Open up your horizons and get a selection. I don't EQ so I get the raw headphones every time for good or bad. Playing Vanessa Fernandez' When The Levee Breaks again on SACD on the Lirics is simply superb because of a wonderful bass input and higher mids just as the linked review suggests.
His experiences of E3 indicated he was using an inadequate amp with the cans. An amp like CFA3 has no problem getting E3 to slam with lots of mid bass punch. This reviewer is useless as most of them are. The bass on E3 is SOTA regardless of price.
Edit1: Again, this reviewer either has terrible ears, inadequate gear, or don’t know how to listen because the soundstage of E3 is as deep as 800S and also among the best in terms of width and height. E3 also excels in separation (front/back, side to side and up and down) as well as space between instruments. The only issue with soundstage is it collapses around the very left and very right. In vast majority of songs you can hear around instrument very easily.
Edit2: granted E3 mid bass lacks a bit sustain compared with Utopia 2022 but makes up for it with the sub bass amount and definition. It goes way deep. Still no issue with punchy mid bass.
His experiences of E3 indicated he was using an inadequate amp with the cans. An amp like CFA3 has no problem getting E3 to slam with lots of mid bass punch. This reviewer is useless as most of them are. The bass on E3 is SOTA regardless of price.
Well, I got over the upper mid peakiness or it settled idk. I burned them in for 10 hours and came back to listen and I have no more issues.
All I get now is that smooth, super detailed sound. I’m not sure it had anything to do with burn in though... I think maybe my initial issues were due to me being tired and slightly headache-y the first time I listened to them.
I don’t know what the fuss is about. He claims that the E3 is a hell of a headphone and one of the best in its price range, although he prefers the musical approach of the Liric II. I had more or less the same experience and ended up purchasing the Liric 2. Like I said, the Dan Clark fanbase is really something!
I don’t know what the fuss is about. He claims that the E3 is a hell of a headphone and one of the best in its price range, although he prefers the musical approach of the Liric II. I had more or less the same experience and ended up purchasing the Liric 2. Like I said, the Dan Clark fanbase is really something!
Agree. At least he has had both pair to pit against each other. He obviously has his own preferences in what he likes to hear. I couldn't judge the E3 because unfortunately I've found auditioning one all but impossible in the UK. The only experience I've had with DCA is the Ether C Flow. The E3 is a complete difference from what I've read from the Ethers which it has to be said was quite a good headphone.
For all those that are writing the Lirics off then they must all have had good auditions with them. Otherwise they are just blowing smoke. On another forum I posted that I was having the Lirics at home on audition after failing to get the E3s. One reply said that the E3 would wipe the floor with them. Judging by the remark I questioned the poster about his E3s. He didn't have a pair but did have the Aeons.
His experiences of E3 indicated he was using an inadequate amp with the cans. An amp like CFA3 has no problem getting E3 to slam with lots of mid bass punch. This reviewer is useless as most of them are. The bass on E3 is SOTA regardless of price.
Edit1: Again, this reviewer either has terrible ears, inadequate gear, or don’t know how to listen because the soundstage of E3 is as deep as 800S and also among the best in terms of width and height. E3 also excels in separation (front/back, side to side and up and down) as well as space between instruments. The only issue with soundstage is it collapses around the very left and very right. In vast majority of songs you can hear around instrument very easily.
Edit2: granted E3 mid bass lacks a bit sustain compared with Utopia 2022 but makes up for it with the sub bass amount and definition. It goes way deep. Still no issue with punchy mid bass.
He definitely needed to listen to R2R DAC+Soloist GT+E3 or TT2+tube amplifier+E3
Lachlan doesn't understand that the problem is with his chain and not with his headphones.
It's amazing how an experienced member of the community makes such mistakes.
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He loves the E3 a lot, but like any other headphones in the world, it has its flaws.